One of the most challenging aspects of the game of golf involves putting as putting accuracy is based on many factors including, for example, the skill level and ability of the individual, the type of putter used by the individual, etc. By way of specific example, putting accuracy is based on an individual's ability to “read the green” to determine what path a golf ball should travel along the putting green to reach the target hole, and then “line up” the putt according to the green reading. The term “read the green” generally refers to the process of examining the slope, texture, borrow, etc. of the putting green in order to determine how the putting green may affect the path that a golf ball will travel towards the hole, e.g., whether the golf ball will break right or left while rolling towards the hole. The term “lining up” the putt generally refers to a process of selecting a target point, visualizing a target line (or aim line), i.e., a straight line extending from the center of the golf ball to the selected target point, and aligning the putter head relative to the ball and target line such that a point impact of the putter face against the golf ball is directed along the target line extending from the center of the golf ball to the target point.
A golfer may line up a putt by selecting a target hole as an aiming point and then aligning the putter head directly at the target hole (e.g., dead center of hole) to putt the ball in a direction of a straight line extending from the center of the golf ball to the target hole. However, a putt is rarely aimed directly dead center at a target hole because there is typically a left or right break (however slight it may be) in the green. In this regard, the golfer can compensate for the break by lining up to make a breaking putt, e.g., selecting a target point at some distance to the left or right of the target hole and aligning the putter head to putt the ball in the direction along a target line extending from the center of the ball to the target point, with the expectation that the putt will break away from the target line and follow a curved path toward the hole.
By way of example, FIG. 10 schematically illustrates methods for lining up a putt using a conventional putter. In general, FIG. 10 schematically depicts a putter head (1) golf ball (2) and a hole (3) formed in a putting green. Conventional putter heads are typically designed with putter faces having flat ball striking faces. In this regard, for illustrative purposes, the putter head (1) in FIG. 10 is generically depicted as a planar element having a planar ball striking face (1A).
A line LBH (ball-to-hole line) denotes a target putting line extending from the center of the golf ball (2) directly to the hole (3). As noted above, a putt may be performed by selecting the hole (3) as a target point and lining up the direction of the putt to aim straight towards the hole (3) along the ball-to-hole line, but this type of putt is uncommon as the aim line is typically adjusted based on an amount of break that is determined based on a green reading (and other factors such as wind, etc.)
In this regard, FIG. 10 depicts a line LTP (ball-to-target point line) which denotes a target putting line extending from the center of the ball (2) to a target point TP located at a distance DBreak to the left of the center of the hole (3), for purposes of making a breaking putt. The line LTP points in the direction of an off-line path which is offset at an angle θ from the direction of line LBH. The target point TP is selected based on an amount of break that is anticipated based on the slope, texture of the putting green, distance from the golf ball to the hole, velocity of the ball upon impact, etc. The curved line PBreak denotes an anticipated curved path that a ball will travel towards the hole (3) to make the breaking putt.
Once the target point and target putting line are determined, a putt is performed by aligning the position of the putter head to aim square in the direction of the target, and then making a smooth stroke to send the golf ball rolling straight at the target point along the target line. In general, the accuracy of the putt depends on the point of impact on the strike face of the putter head at which contact is made to the golf ball during the stroke, as well as the angular orientation of the strike face relative to the target line upon impact. In particular, when making a putting stroke, putting accuracy depends on impacting the ball at a central area of the strike face, known in the art as the “sweet spot”, while ensuring the strike face of the putter face is square (90 degrees) to the target line.
By way of example with reference to FIG. 10, when lining up to make the breaking putt along target line LTP, a golfer would address the golf ball (2) by positioning the putter head (1) with the desired point of impact (sweet spot) of the strike face (1A) directly behind the ball to be struck and with the strike face (1A) square (perpendicular) to the target line LTP. When making the stroke, the alignment must be maintained through the stroke such that the ball is hit at the sweet spot region of the ball striking face (1A) as such that the ball striking face (1A) is maintained at right angles to the target line at the time of contact.
Thus, when making a putt, a golfer must be able to visualize a target putting line extending from the ball center to a target point and then focus on such target line during a putting stroke to maintain the putter head in proper alignment so as to direct the “sweet spot” of the putter head at the center of the golf ball in the direction of the target putting line while holding the putter face square to the target line at the point of impact. In this regard, putting can be problematic especially when making breaking putts where a golfer must visualize and align to an invisible target line extending towards a blind spot (invisible aiming point) on the green.